NY Islanders Excited by Mathew Barzal’s Return To Practice

New York Islanders teammates were excited to see Mathew Barzal back on the ice in any capacity.

Nov 26, 2025; Elmont, New York, USA; New York Islanders center Mathew Barzal (13) reacts after scoring a goal in the first period against the Boston Bruins at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Things are looking up for the New York Islanders, who had a few special appearances at their most recent practice.

Nearing the end of a break in their schedule that provided them four days off between games, the Islanders took the ice for a practice ahead of their return against the Carolina Hurricanes, which will feature the debut of their Hometown Remix uniforms.

In a pleasant surprise, a trio of injured players, Mathew Barzal, Matias Maccelli and Ryan Pulock, were back on the ice. All three were wearing red non-contact uniforms, but it certainly was nice to see them back in any capacity with the team.

Seeing Barzal back on the ice was something that excited forward Anthony Duclair, who couldn’t help but smile when he spoke to the media about seeing his teammate back on the ice with the team.

Anthony Duclair expresses excitement seeing Mathew Barzal on ice

Oct 27, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; New York Islanders left wing Anthony Duclair (11) skates with the puck against the Nashville Predators during the overtime period at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“We all know how much Barzy means to this organization and to the guys in the locker room so seeing him out there with the boys, even just for a little bit today was great,” Duclair said, via Tyler Millen of NHL.com. “It's going to be a step-by-step process, but we're behind him, we're supporting him, and we're gonna welcome him with open arms as soon as he's ready.”

Barzal looked great during his session, flying around the ice during an individual warm-up. How he was moving around certainly impressed Duclair, who added that he spoke to and complimented Barzal when the two spoke after practice.

“I told him today I think he looked great out there, even though it was only for a couple drills,” Duclair said. “For a guy that hasn't skated much in the summer he doesn't seem like he's missed too much out there. He's such a good skater, such a good player, a smart player that I think he'll adjust pretty well and pretty quickly.”

Back on the ice. pic.twitter.com/y9JJkupdYv

— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) November 4, 2026

This is the first time that Barzal has been on the ice in any capacity with his teammates in a while. Just ahead of training camp, it was announced that the star forward wouldn’t start skating for at least two weeks, the first time the fan base was made aware he wouldn’t be in the lineup to start the season.

16 games and counting later, Barzal is still not ready to play in a game, but his appearance in practice, even in a red non-contact uniform, has provided the team with a jolt of energy heading into a matchup with the defending Stanley Cup champion Hurricanes. Excitement was high in the locker room seeing him, Maccelli and Pulock.

Getting the dynamic forward back will be a huge boost to the team’s offensive upside, given how great a match he is for the skill set of star defenseman Matthew Schaefer, who has taken his performance to another level in Year 2 with the team.